


Living Like We Do

by MayQueen517



Category: Pacific Rim (2013)
Genre: Friendship, Gen, Tendo's fabulous fashion sense
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-07-21
Updated: 2013-07-21
Packaged: 2017-12-20 20:46:54
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,152
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/891682
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MayQueen517/pseuds/MayQueen517
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>"Now, see, if you had some fashion sense maybe you'd <i>look</i> like the rock star pilot," Tendo says, making Raleigh laugh.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Living Like We Do

**Author's Note:**

> A friend made a comment about how Tendo was wearing the uniform in the first few scenes and only really starts wearing his civvies in Hong Kong. And thus, this was born. 
> 
> If you'd like to chat or whatever, feel free to find me on Tumblr, I'm MayQueen517 over there as well!
> 
> Song title from 'Song With A Mission' by The Sounds.
> 
> As a note: This ignores any supplemental material (IE: _Tales From Year Zero_ and the novelization).

"Got the uniform on today, huh, Tendo?"

"Well, some of us have to look professional around here," Tendo says, laughing over Yancy's snort as he takes in the sloppy, casual dress of both Becket brothers. Yancy laughs, scrubbing a hand over his tired face as Raleigh rolls his eyes, punching Tendo's shoulder lightly.

"Always gotta outdo us, huh?"

"Someone's gotta keep you on your toes, boys," Tendo says, grinning as they walk out of the control room, off shift for a few hours. He glances at the time, smiling to himself before sitting down into his chair, readying himself for the night.

It's two in the morning when the alarm starts going and with a rough sigh, he finishes his coffee and sets the alert up, calling Yancy and Raleigh to go get suited up. 

 

Later,Tendo finds himself unable to stop thinking about it. He worries over the memory until his head hurts and still he finds himself wondering at the way this job just doesn't seem to stop taking. He thinks of his grandfather and of the families lost to this new war and this job. 

Returning to his quarters, he finds himself sitting on the bed in silence, cradling his head in his hands with exhaustion and grief. It's only a few minutes, the silence crashing over and around him like waves in a tsunami before he stands. Tendo pulls the uniform off, replacing it with fresh slacks and a clean shirt that he pulls a jacket over. 

The walk to the infirmary where Raleigh's being held is a short one. But still Tendo stops half a dozen times, wondering if he should just go back to his quarters and crawl into bed before he pushes through the door and into Raleigh's room.

Raleigh is on the bed, sleeping and Tendo, feeling far older than he had just hours before, sits down beside the bed, watching and waiting. He wishes, for a moment, that he could sleep but adrenaline, sickly sweet and ice cold, has left him restless. The hum of the machines is almost like being back at the command post, the Marshal watching the screens and radar. 

In the bed, Raleigh shifts, murmuring Yancy's name as his brow furrows. Tendo watches his heart rate increase on the monitor before a medic comes in and pushes what Tendo supposes is a sedative into the IV drip. Within moments, his face smooths and Tendo watches him fall into an uneasy sleep. His head moves from side to side but he doesn't wake and Tendo can't see any visible signs of a nightmare. 

He sits with Raleigh until morning, with heavy eyes and an aching head until he finds himself looking up at the sound of the door opening. Pentecost stands in the doorway, silent and grave as always, holding a tablet that fits neatly under his arm. They exchange a glance before Tendo looks over to Raleigh and back to Pentecost, opening his mouth to speak. Pentecost cuts him off, gently.

"Go get some rest, Mr. Choi."

"Yes, sir," Tendo says, pitching his voice low as Pentecost takes his seat. They don't speak, even as Raleigh begins to claw his way back from the sedation, slowly but surely. Tendo slips out of the room and into the hallway, closing his eyes before he trudges back to his own bunk. 

===  
 _Hong Kong_

"Over five years and you still dress like you're the rock star pilot instead of me," Raleigh says from his side as Tendo laughs. He casts a glance over Raleigh, shaking his head.

"Now, see, if you had some fashion sense maybe you'd _look_ like the rock star pilot," Tendo says, making Raleigh laugh. It's been five years since Tendo saw Raleigh, dazed and unable to focus, caught up in his own head. Tendo remembers the expressions of pity and Raleigh's anger before he left (he remembers the horror of realizing that Yancy was still alive when he was taken, vitals registering from the suit until they didn't).

"Not everyone can be Tendo Choi," Raleigh snorts, following Tendo to the command room. Most of Tendo's life feels like it's centered around this room, too many hours for too many days, but at the end of the world, who's really going to complain about not having enough down-time?

"How've you been, Becket?" Tendo asks as Raleigh shrugs, pulling over an empty chair to sit in it. He sprawls and that, at least, is the same. 

"Doing what I can. I was up on the wall in Alaska," he says as Tendo looks over at him, arching an eyebrow.

"Hey, a guy's gotta eat," he says easily, without a trace of anger or annoyance as Tendo nods, shrugging as Tendo checks over the radar and maps, seeing a (so far) quiet evening.

"Nothing wrong with that."

"What about you, Tendo?"

He shrugs, sitting back in his chair and picking up a cup of coffee, grimacing at the temperature, "Working, same as you. Kaiju attacks increased after Anchorage, so I went with the Marshal to various Shatterdomes, inspecting, offering what we could to help," Tendo says as Raleigh nods. 

"You still knocking the ladies off their feet?" Raleigh asks, grinning as Tendo rolls his eyes, laughing, "I seem to remember having to get a brand new outfit or two just so the girls would even _look_ at me with you around."

"I told you then and I'll tell you now, if you'd get some fashion sense, maybe you wouldn't get that overlooked," Tendo says, shaking his head as they fall into old patterns. It was like this, for a while. Raleigh coming up to the command room if they were in the same Shatterdome, sitting with Tendo and shooting the shit; Yancy harassing him over the comms with Raleigh. Drinks after shifts and on the brief, very few nights off, while both complained that Tendo took all the attention away from them.

"Man, how can I even compare to all this?" Raleigh says, shifting to stand as he tweaks Tendo's bow tie. He gets an elbow to the hip for his trouble that he shuffles away from, laughing like an overgrown kid. He pulls at Tendo's suspender and Tendo gives him a light shove, laughing with him. 

"Becket, I think you should just try to keep up," Tendo says, hearing Raleigh laugh as he's walking out.

"Nobody keeps up with you, Tendo; we just hope that someone'll look past you to us."

Tendo snorts, draining his now cold coffee with a grimace, wishing for something a little stronger as he spins in his chair. He takes his cup to the pitifully small area for coffee and pours a fresh cup.

Shaking his head, he steps back over to his computer, pulling his jacket off and draping it over the back of his chair before he sits down, ready for the evening.


End file.
